After years of trying, Airbnb to formally launch Experiences service

Airbnb is likely to go mainstream in the next few weeks on its attempts to expand the product into new areas: namely activities and things to do.

The company has recently sent an email to hosts in which it encourages them to "be one of the first experience hosts", launching it appears initially in San Francisco in the first week of December.

"Whether it’s an intimate dinner at your house, a rosé brunch in the park, dinner and a bonfire at the beach, or a serendipitous excursion to your favorite pop-up in the Mission, every idea you share is a chance for a traveler to belong in San Francisco."

Essentially this is the formalisation of a hosts-as-guides service on the site.

Whilst the news that Experiences is going live is likely to get hosts and the press excited ("genius move", says Jack Smith on ProductHunt), Airbnb has actually been testing this type of service on and off for quite some time.